In Minnesota, where I live, the winters are cold and long. My 28 year battle with addiction was also cold and long, and it almost killed me on five separate occasions. By the Grace of God, and specifically Jesus Christ, I survived homelessness, living outside on the streets for one year, and 13 treatment centers. In addition to all of this, I was diagnosed as manic depressive.

People who have a dual diagnosis, that is, mental illness separate from the disease of addiction, combined with the disease of addiction, have a much harder time getting and staying sober. During the time that I went to the 13 treatment centers, I was not getting treatment for the manic depression.

A psychiatrist diagnosed me as manic depressive and warned me that if I did not take lithium carbonate, my life would become a living hell. I decided not to take the medication for manic depression which is Lithium Carbonate. There were two reasons why I made the decision not to take the medication. The first reason was that lithium takes away the highs of manic depression. I liked the highs and I was not willing to give them up. The second reason was a strong denial that anything could be wrong with my brain, since I had achieved straight A’s in high school and four years of college. How could there be anything wrong with my brain?

This decision to deny that I had manic depression and my refusal to take the medication, was the single most self-destructive decision that I have made in my life. Part of the reason that I went to the 13 treatment centers, was because when you are manic depressive, you are extremely impulsive. When a thought came into my head, I just did it without considering the consequences of my actions. Therefore, I kept on relapsing…… 13 times.

Here is an example of what mania is: I was living in my own apartment in Wisconsin with my Husky dog, Princess. One day I had the thought to leave my apartment and everything in it, load up my car with some clothes, some food and my dog and just drive away. That is exactly what I did. I headed for Colorado and a new world of trouble.

The result was five near-death experiences in Denver, Colorado. Several jail terms for shoplifting, fighting and public intoxication. Denver was the place that I spent a year living outside on the streets. My manic depression and my addiction to alcohol, marijuana and cocaine were burning like a forest fire gone out of control.

Today, I look at the picture of the Blue Bird and I look forward to the spring. There is the hope of a new year with new possibilities. However, I am also reminded that spring and summer are potentially dangerous times for me in terms of relapse. By the grace of God, I now have over 18 years of sobriety, but I still have to protect myself and be aware of triggers for relapse. If I can get sober, anyone can get sober. I am living proof that it can be done when we completely surrender our lives to God, and get help from our sponsor and others in recovery.

The purpose of this book is to give hope, encouragement, faith and love to the suffering addict, who might think that he or she cannot recover.

This book can save lives. Please check it out.

About The Author

Robert J. Allison lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota with his wife Rochelle Allison. Robert survived a 28-year battle with chemical dependency, including 13 chemical dependency treatment centers and homelessness.
He surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and began his new life of faith and contented sobriety. Robert has been blessed with 18 years of sobriety and with his new freedom he now is helping other addicts to find peace, faith and the priceless gift of sobriety.

Until you’ve watched someone you love try and claw their way out only to be dragged back in again, you can’t know what it is like.

Until you’ve seen someone throw everything away just to feel better for a moment, you can’t know what it is like.

Until you’ve dealt with someone desperately in need of help who turned to self medicating instead, you can’t know what it is like.

Until you’ve had to tease out where the line between believing in someone and enabling them is, you can’t know what it is like.

Until you’ve had to make choices no one should ever have to make, you can’t know what it is like.

Until you’ve done all you can to help someone who doesn’t want it, you can’t know what it is like.

We all have our demons. We all have our issues.

Many of us are closer to being addicts than we would ever admit out loud.

Some of us know how easy it would be to turn.

Some of us are addicts already.

Some of us already walk the line.

About The Author

Robert J. Allison lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota with his wife Rochelle Allison. Robert survived a 28-year battle with chemical dependency, including 13 chemical dependency treatment centers and homelessness.
He surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and began his new life of faith and contented sobriety. Robert has been blessed with 18 years of sobriety and with his new freedom he now is helping other addicts to find peace, faith and the priceless gift of sobriety.

“Our very lives, as ex-problem drinkers, depend upon our constant thought of others, and how we may help meet their needs.”

“…… We have recovered from a hopeless condition of mind and body.”

“The great fact is just this, and nothing less: That we have had deep and effective spiritual experiences which have revolutionized our whole attitude toward life, toward our fellows and toward God’s universe.”

“The central fact of our lives today is the absolute certainty that our Creator has entered into our hearts and lives in a way which is indeed miraculous. He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves.”

And so we came to the ultimate alcoholic crossroads (all addicts are included). The Big Book states it well, “…… we had but two alternatives: One was to go on to the bitter end, blotting out the consciousness of our intolerable situation as best we could; and the other, to accept spiritual help.”

“….. alcoholics can have vital spiritual experiences. They appear to be in the nature of huge emotional displacements and rearrangements. Ideas, emotions, and attitudes which were once the guiding forces of the lives of these men are suddenly cast to one side, and a completely new set of conceptions and motives begin to dominate them.”

“We know that no real alcoholic ever recovers control…… We are convinced that alcoholics of our type are in the grip of a progressive illness. Over any considerable period we get worse, never better.”

“The fact is the most alcoholics, for reasons yet obscure, have lost the power of choice in drink. Our so-called will power becomes practically nonexistent. We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink.”

“…. Any alcoholic capable of honestly facing his problems in the light of our experience can recover, provided he does not close his mind to all spiritual concepts. He can only be defeated by an attitude of intolerance or belligerent denial. We find that no one need have difficulty with the spirituality of the program. Willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the essentials of recovery. But these are indispensable.”

“Recovery begins when one alcoholic talks with another alcoholic, sharing their experience, strength and hope.”

The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous is a treasure for any alcoholic and any addict of any kind.

Read it for wisdom, read it for healing, read it to know the mind of the alcoholic or addict! Read it for hope. Read it so you can help others!

You can recover from addiction. Millions of us have experienced this miracle!

About The Author

Robert J. Allison lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota with his wife Rochelle Allison. Robert survived a 28-year battle with chemical dependency, including 13 chemical dependency treatment centers and homelessness.
He surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and began his new life of faith and contented sobriety. Robert has been blessed with 18 years of sobriety and with his new freedom he now is helping other addicts to find peace, faith and the priceless gift of sobriety.

“You have been in denial about your addiction for a long time,and now every

village in the land wants you dead! Did you not see how your madness has been

eating you alive? You attacked the first village a long time ago, and your

obsession grew to where you attacked every village in the land.

We have to live with the villagers and respect their ways, but all of that

is destroyed now.

With strength and confidence, Thunder said, Frankie, you must find a power

greater than yourself that will cure you of your insanity. You need to find that

higher power now! I can be your higher power, but you must do exactly as I say,

or you are going to die! Frankie paced back and forth across the red clay earth

and growled like a demon as he remembered the three poison spears and

almost dying on the floor of the cave.

Thunder said,”Frankie the resentment and anger and rage that you have

inside of you, is much more powerful and deadly than what those villagers

put on the end of those spears! You must surrender or die!

If you will surrender your life to me, I will carry us away to a virgin jungle

that has no humans and we will be free. If you stay here, you will be killed in

a day’s time. If you surrender your life to me right now, I will save both of us.

“You will never have another chance to be cured of your addiction,

so surrender now. I love you Frankie, and I will guide you out of the madness

of your addiction and into the light of freedom and a better life.

Remember Frankie, I am your higher power, and you have surrendered your

life to me. We will run swiftly tonight and if we find other Tigers in trouble,

we will bring them with us and you will have a chance to make up for your

mistakes by helping them. Only a Tiger like you who has done the things

that you have done, can help another Tiger in trouble.

You must decide now Frankie!

Frankie gave a loud growl that went on for a long time, and then he looked

into the eyes of his mother and said with relief, “Yes, Thunder, I choose you

as my higher power, and I will accept your guidance from now on.”

Never again will I be a killer of villagers and their animals.”

“With love and relief in her heart, Thunder said,

Frankie, your surrender has saved your life and mine.

The virgin jungle is calling us, can you hear it?

Let’s go now in joy, for it is time to claim our freedom.

Let’s run for the promised land tonight and start our new life!

About The Author

Robert J. Allison lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota with his wife Rochelle Allison. Robert survived a 28-year battle with chemical dependency, including 13 chemical dependency treatment centers and homelessness.
He surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and began his new life of faith and contented sobriety. Robert has been blessed with 18 years of sobriety and with his new freedom he now is helping other addicts to find peace, faith and the priceless gift of sobriety.

Please feel free to share any of this information with any person who wants to get sober,

as well as family members who have an addicted loved one and need encouragement, love and hope.

Check out the website and get a copy of my book!

Peace, love and hope to you!

About The Author

Robert J. Allison lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota with his wife Rochelle Allison. Robert survived a 28-year battle with chemical dependency, including 13 chemical dependency treatment centers and homelessness.
He surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and began his new life of faith and contented sobriety. Robert has been blessed with 18 years of sobriety and with his new freedom he now is helping other addicts to find peace, faith and the priceless gift of sobriety.

Anonymous and many more, have traditionally presented “God” as a nameless God in

order to keep the gateway to recovery open to people of all faiths or no faith.

My story and my experience is that Jesus Christ saved my life and He took me from

homelessness, living outside on the streets with an addiction to chemicals that was

killing me, to a peaceful life with a loving wife and a beautiful home. I am a walking,

talking miracle, and I owe my life to Jesus.

If you want to get and stay sober, and you are willing to go to any length to get it, then

you will experience the miracle of sobriety and peace. Together we get sober and stay

sober, alone we use chemicals and destroy our lives. Surround yourself with sober

people who are working the 12 steps under the guidance of a sponsor, and you will have

a new family that knows who you are, and who are willing to guide you to freedom.

Peace and Blessings to you!

About The Author

Robert J. Allison lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota with his wife Rochelle Allison. Robert survived a 28-year battle with chemical dependency, including 13 chemical dependency treatment centers and homelessness.
He surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and began his new life of faith and contented sobriety. Robert has been blessed with 18 years of sobriety and with his new freedom he now is helping other addicts to find peace, faith and the priceless gift of sobriety.

When I was studying to get my Bachelor’s degree in International Political

Economy at Colorado College, from 1977 to 1981, after studying at the library,

I would walk past the huge majestic red stone building called Palmer Hall.

Inscribed at the top of the arched entrance to the building were Jesus’ famous words from the Bible, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” This was a wonderful promise, and it also made me feel that Jesus was protecting me and moving me forward as He predicted my future. Every time I walked by the huge red sandstone building, I felt that Jesus was speaking directly to me, and giving me His encouragement.

There were years upon years in my life, when I felt lost like a cork in a raging sea.

There was one Bible verse that I read once and it was immediately

imprinted on my mind. Jesus said, “I am the Truth, the Way and the Life”.

I had lost my way and disappeared into a very terrifying dark hell, called

addiction and homelessness. It took me 28 years to claw my way back to sanity

and sobriety.

I had gone from a straight-A high school and college student, to a pathetic

middle of untreated manic depression, and I felt like a wild animal running from myself.

One of the reasons that I went to 13 treatment centers, is because I

refused treatment for manic depression back in 1982, and that made staying

sober impossible. I was also full of deadly denial. I learned the hard way, that I

must get treatment for both my addiction and my manic depression, if I were to succeed.

I remember one day I was panhandling on the 16th Street Mall in

Denver,Colorado and an old college friend stopped and gave me some money.

I looked into her eyes but I could not remember who she was, but she looked so

familiar. I saw shock and compassion in her eyes. Years later, when I was

sober, I went to my college 30th reunion and she was there, and I then

remembered her name, which is Jenny.

As we talked about that day when I was panhandling in Denver, she said how

surprised she was to see me homeless and destitute, when I used to be one of

academic leaders at the college, and I as very well- liked and respected. I was

somewhat surprised that I did not feel a mountain of shame and guilt. When

we saw each other at the college reunion, I had been sober for 13 years, but I

was still “numb” to the hell on the streets. I had the attitude that, “Yes, all of

that did happen, but I am sober and free today.”

One thing that I learned on the streets and in my 28 year career of addiction, is

that I had to numb my pain, and not let people see my vulnerability, or else

I would get hurt physically or emotionally. I had to protect myself at all times.

Today, I know that system is not good for me and my relationships. I need

to make myself vulnerable, like I am doing in this article, so that I can let people

into my life.

It is amazing that I was still numb after 13 years of sobriety, even though I no longer

needed this defense mechanism. I was told by a psychologist shortly after I got

sober in 1998, that I suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome from my

experiences in addiction, and from things that happened during the one year

that I was homeless, living outside on the streets. The psychologist was waiting

for me to respond and I looked at him and said, “So what!” I was protecting

myself even from him.

The bottom line is that Jesus has been watching out over me all of my life.

He rescued me from the streets and from the terminal disease of addiction and

now He is helping me to give hope, love and encouragement to other addicts.

Jesus is theTruth, the Way and the Life. Jesus has set me free!

So now my life of addiction and homelessness has real meaning. If my book,

“Saved By The Prince Of Peace- Dungeon To Sky”, saves the life of just one

addict, then my life and my book will have been worth it.

About The Author

Robert J. Allison lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota with his wife Rochelle Allison. Robert survived a 28-year battle with chemical dependency, including 13 chemical dependency treatment centers and homelessness.
He surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and began his new life of faith and contented sobriety. Robert has been blessed with 18 years of sobriety and with his new freedom he now is helping other addicts to find peace, faith and the priceless gift of sobriety.

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About the Author

Robert J. Allison

"The Story of one man's terrifying journey from hell to heaven."

Robert J. Allison's book covers 28 years of an intense battle with chemical dependency, until at the end of his ropes, he completely surrendered and turned his life over to Jesus Christ. The result is a spectacular recovery and a passion for helping others to find peace and lasting sobriety. The purpose of this book is to give hope, encouragement, faith and love to the suffering addict, who might think that he or she cannot recover. Robert J. Allison lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota with his wife, Rochelle Allison. After surviving a battle with chemical dependency, including 13 chemical dependency treatment centers and homelessness; he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and began his new life of faith and contented sobriety. Robert has enjoyed 16 years of sobriety and with this new freedom, he now is helping other addicts to find peace, faith and the priceless gift of sobriety. Miracles can happen for you or your family member or your friend, just like they did for Robert J. Allison.